UPDATE 1-North America box office goes to 'Puss in Boots'

LOS ANGELES, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Animated movie "Puss in
Boots" landed on its feet with a $51 million global debut over
the weekend and likely set a Halloween weekend record for a
domestic opening, according to studio estimates released on
Sunday.

The big-budget 3D spinoff from the blockbuster "Shrek"
series took top domestic box-office honors, while the new
Steven Spielberg-directed "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret
of the Unicorn" performed strong in international markets.

"Puss" lapped up a solid $34 million from North American
(U.S. and Canadian) theaters, which will top the $33.6 million
Halloween weekend record set by horror movie "Saw 3" if the
figure holds when the final tally is released on Monday.

Audiences polled by survey firm CinemaScore gave "Puss" an
A- rating on average. Antonio Banderas provided the voice for
the sword-fighting cat, which was originally seen as a sidekick
in the "Shrek" movies.

DreamkWorks Animation, which produced "Puss" for about $130
million, said the movie performed within expectations. An early
snowstorm in the East likely shaved "a couple million" off the
weekend's sales, said Anne Globe, chief marketing officer for
DreamWorks Animation.

Knowing many families were busy with Halloween activities,
the studio plans a big push to bring in filmgoers next weekend,
Globe said. "We're well-positioned to maximize the release
going into November. I think we will have strong word of
mouth," Globe said.

"Puss" added $17 million from three international markets
for a combined total of $51 million.

Other moviegoers seeking a Halloween scare opted for horror
flick "Paranormal Activity 3." The low-budget haunted house
sequel, last week's box-office winner, slipped to second place
with $18.5 million. Its worldwide sales to date reached $136
million since the movie hit theaters a week ago.

BIG DEBUT FOR 'TINTIN'

New science fiction thriller "In Time," starring Justin
Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, took third place for the
weekend with $12 million. The total was within the studio's
expectations, said Chris Aronson, senior vice president for
domestic distribution at 20th Century Fox. The film, which cost
about $40 million to make, explores a world where wealthy
people can buy immortality while the poor scramble to purchase
time to live past age 25.

Just 36 percent of critics featured on review aggregation
website Rotten Tomatoes gave a positive review.

A remake of 1980s dance classic "Footloose" landed in
fourth place, earning $5.4 million during its third weekend in
theaters.

Another new film, "The Rum Diary" starring Johnny Depp,
grossed a lackluster $5 million to finish in fifth place. The
drama about a journalist working in 1950s Puerto Rico is based
on a semi-autobiographical novel by the late Hunter S.
Thompson.

"While we all wish the numbers were better, we're proud of
the film and its loving tribute to Hunter S. Thompson," Bob
Berney, head of theatrical distribution for FilmDistrict, said
in an emailed statement.

Overseas, Spielberg's "Tintin" pulled in a strong $55.8
million from 19 markets where it debuted. Distributors Sony and
Paramount sought to capitalize on Europe's adoration of Tintin,
a Belgian comic book hero mostly unknown to North American
moviegoers. The 3D motion-capture movie won't reach U.S.
theaters until just before Christmas.

"Puss in Boots" was produced by DreamWorks Animation and
distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
"Paranormal Activity 3" and "Footloose" also were released by
Paramount. News Corp unit 20th Century Fox released "In Time."
Privately held FilmDistrict distributed "The Rum Diary." Sony
Corp and Paramount released "The Adventures of Tintin."
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Bill Trott)